Mainland tourists flock to HK during National Day holiday, Octopus transactions hit HK$100 mn

After the National Day holiday (Oct. 1 to 7), Hong Kong saw over a million mainland tourists, driving a significant boost in local spending, with Octopus transactions totaling around HK$100 million.

According to Octopus Cards Limited, since the beginning of this year, over ten million visitors to Hong Kong have used either a physical or mobile Octopus card. During the National Day holiday, the number of active users of the tourist version of the mobile Octopus card was three times higher than the same period last year, with overall spending four times higher. On an annual basis, the per capita retail spending increased by nearly 30%. Besides public transport, visitors extensively used mobile Octopus for dining, supermarkets, and convenience stores.

The National Day holiday spurred Hong Kong residents to travel north, increasing the "Octopus UnionPay QR Code" usage by about 50%. Since its launch in 2022, the card has been usable in over 47 countries and regions at over 34 million retail locations.

Earlier this year, the company launched the "Octopus – China T-Union Card," which has sold over 60,000 units with a total transaction value of HK$40 million. This card allows consumers to recharge in Hong Kong dollars and use public transport in over 336 cities nationwide.

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